….use the activities described in this workshop as a foundation.

Your personal finance class provides you with an excellent opportunity to develop your students’ communication skills. You can give your students practice on making persuasive arguments during a debate or perhaps, how to effectively present their recommendations using one of NGPF’s case studies. Many teachers wonder how to provide a foundational lesson in communication that students can utilize as a framework throughout the course. Well, I stumbled upon one this morning that your students will love.

The title of this workshop is “Think Fast, Talk Smart: Communication Techniques.” I have summarized the 58:19 workshop below and listed the four activities that the speaker, Dan Abraham, demonstrates to build that communication “muscle.” He also provides techniques about how to overcome those anxious feelings that almost everyone feels leading up to their public speaking opportunities.

Notes from the workshop:

• Spontaneous speaking more prevalent than planned speaking
• Three techniques to manage your anxiety
  • Anxiety management
    • Techniques
      • Greet anxiety with a deep breath: “Hey this is me feeling nervous…I am about to do something consequential.”
      • Reframing how you see speaking situation: From “We have to do it right” mindset to “There is no one right way.” See it as a conversation rather than a performance.
        • Start with questions (polling, rhetorical) as it gets audience involved and conversational mode
        • Use inclusive, conversational language (pronouns are important)
      • Bring yourself into current moment (rather than future consequence); walk around building, listen to music, counting backwards from 100 by hard numbers, say tongue twisters; can warm up voice too
  • Four step process to build your spontaneous speaking muscle
    • First technique: Train your brain to get out of your own way; see the things that we do that prevent us from acting spontaneously. Mantra: “Dare to be Dull”
      • Shout the Wrong Name (30 seconds + 15 seconds): Stand up and look all around and point at different things and call things anything than what they really are
        • What did you notice about words that you said? Were there any patterns?
        • Play the game again for 15 seconds and don’t stockpile or let your brain choose a pattern.
          • Was it easier the second time?
    • Second technique: See the speaking opportunity as an opportunity to clarify and not as a threat or challenge. Mantra: “Yes and….”
      • Gift Giving Game (2 minute for each exchange):
        • You and partner are going to exchange imaginary gifts
        • Partner will take gift and open it up and tell you what they gave you
        • Gift giver has to respond by saying “I gave this to you because…..” and give a reason for why they gave it to them.
        • Reverse the process so gift giver becomes gift recipient
      • Questions for students
        • What gift did you receive?
        • How did you feel going through this process?
    • Third technique: Take time to listen; as a communicator you are in service to your audience; Mantra: “Don’t just do something…stand there.” Listen and then respond
      • “Spell It Out” Game (2 minutes):
        • Have a brief conversation about something fun that you are going to do later in the day. You have to spell everything out that you say
        • Questions:
    • Fourth technique: Have to tell a story with a structure; we process structured information about 40% more effectively; “never lose your audience”; figure out what to say and how to say it; Mantra: “Structure Sets You Free”
      • Useful structure #1: Problem – Solution – Benefit
      • Useful structure #2: What (or Who?) – So What – Now What?
      • Activity: Sell a Slinky (2 minutes)
        • Use one of the structures above to Sell A Slinky
        • Only one partner has a chance to sell to the other

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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